


Second in Command

by Babyphd



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 15,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babyphd/pseuds/Babyphd
Summary: After saving the President and the First Lady's life, Leo fights for his.
Relationships: Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta reader.

Wednesday

Two women looked through the small glass window of the Surgical Intensive Care cubicle at George Washington University Hospital at the older man lying in the hospital bed in front of them. Motionless with tubes, IVs running everywhere and a machine breathing for him, they both silently prayed for his recovery. But both had been told that there was only a slight chance of that. It had been over twenty-four hours since his arrival in that space, and every hour that went by without any change meant less chance of recovery. But they still had hope. He had beaten the odds before and they just knew he would do the same now.

They heard footsteps behind them and saw two men, one with hair that was never going to be tamed, and the other, a younger man who always looked like he had just stepped out of a gentlemen's magazine.

“How is he?" Sam asked.

“No change," Mallory quietly responded. "The doctors aren't very hopeful the longer he's not responding."

Sam looked again though the window at the older man, his political mentor. He was still confused on how it all happened. He had been told by Ron and the President, but he still didn't believe it. However, it was just like Leo to do something like that.

Josh finally found his voice, "Has the President come by yet?"

“No." This time it was Margaret who responded. "Ron won't let him out of the White House. Security reasons he says, and knowing the President, he's probably not very happy. I keep Charlie updated, but there's really not much to tell him."

Josh just nodded. He still stared at the man in the bed. He had known Leo McGarry all his life. Leo had been the reason he got into politics in the first place. And Leo encouraged him to come to New Hampshire three years ago to hear Jed Bartlet. He called him the real thing. And he was. What was he going to do if Leo didn't make it?

“CJ and Toby came by earlier," Mallory said, with just a hint of a smile. "They said Uncle Jed was giving Ron a fit. CJ said that Ron, as usual, was just standing there and had no expression. I really feel sorry for Ron."

“Yeah," replied Josh. "But eventually the President will win. He has tried so hard to come so sooner or later Ron will have to give in." Josh remembered the raised voices he had overheard earlier, but decided not to mention that to the others.

The two men stayed a few more minutes but, deciding there was not anything they could do, hugged Mallory and Margaret and walked away. As they walked away, they both knew that it could be the last time they saw Leo McGarry alive.

Mallory and Margaret continued to gaze at the unresponsive Leo for a while. The staff went in and out, doing what they do, but getting no response. But then again, not expecting any response.

Finally, they decided to go get some food. They both left, having been given a pager by the nurses in case of any change. They were just going to the cafeteria for some bad hospital food because they didn't want to go too far away. Just in case. Either way.

Ten minutes later four men in dark suits appeared on the floor, checking closets, the waiting room and standing by the exits. That could only mean one thing.

The elevator doors opened and the President and First Lady exited. Walking the few steps down the hall, Jed and Abbey found the cubicle where Leo lay and stood, staring at their best friend, who might have given up his life for theirs.

“Abbey, tell me that's going on. You're the doc."

Abbey looked around the room, gazing at the monitor readout, looking at all the tubes, the ventilator, everything. "He's being kept alive, Jed. That's all I can basically tell you without reading the chart."

“Can you get the chart?"

“I can ask."

“Do it."

“OK." Abbey turned to the nurse's station." Hi, I'm…"

“Yes, Ma'am. I know who you are."

“I would like to see Mr. McGarry's chart."

“Yes Ma'am. I am aware of the close friendship you and your husband have with the patient and I don't think there will be a problem. His daughter has gone to eat, but I'm sure she won't mind." The nurse grabbed the rather thick chart and handed it over to Abbey.

Putting on her glasses, it took some time to even skim though it. What she saw brought tears to her eyes. She handed the chart back to the nurse. "Thank you."

Abbey walked back to where Jed still stood, his gaze still on Leo's unresponsive body.

“Jed," she said softly. Grabbing his hand and softly squeezing it, she gave him the bad news. "It's not good, Babe. His kidneys are beginning to shut down and his vital signs are slowly deteriorating. The doctor's notes are not hopeful. Mallory has signed a DNR order."

“A what?"

“A Do Not Resuscitate Order. In case his heart fails again, she does not want him brought back."

Jed turned to her; his eyes full of tears. "We owe Leo our lives, Abbey. Why did he do it?"

Abbey was crying now. "Because he loved us, Jed."

They both turned again to view the body, not the soul of Leo McGarry. And thought about how it came to be that they were alive and Leo was dying.


	2. Chapter 2

Previous Monday

“That's your schedule for this week, Mr. President. As you can see, nothing major. A couple of bills working their way through various committees, several photo ops, and this opening at the Smithsonian tomorrow."

“Leo, tell me once again what I'm opening." Jed looked at his Chief of Staff over the top of his glasses.

“Sir, you and the First Lady are opening their new exhibit on America's National Parks. I believe it's their one hundredth anniversary and you are dedicating a new park somewhere in Utah or Montana. Toby and Sam are working on your speech."

“Which is it, Leo? Utah or Montana?"

“To tell you the truth Mr. President, I don't really care. I'll have Margaret look it up and tell you later." As soon as he said it, Leo realized that he had made a big mistake. One does not tell the trivia president that one does not care about knowing about the National Parks. Even if they are best friends. "Uh, Mr. President, I'm sorry. I will go and find out right away."

Jed stood up. "No. You'll stay right here. Charlie!"

“Yes, Sir?"

“Charlie, please find out from Margaret where the new National Park is located. Leo can't move from where he is at the present time."

Charlie looked at the Chief of Staff and then back at the President. "Yes, Sir." He crossed the Oval Office and disappeared into Leo's office. He quickly returned with the answer. "Montana, Sir."

“Thank you, Charlie. That's all." He hadn't taken his eyes off Leo the whole time. Once the door to the outer office closed, Jed smiled. "Okay, Leo. For that real intelligent reply, I think you need to be punished."

“Sir, really, I…"

“Be quiet. I'm thinking." Jed walked around the office, trying to think up an appropriate punishment for his best friend. "I got it!"

Leo cringed at his friend's excitement. He was scared to know what Jed had decided. There were some things that Jed was good at and getting back at Leo was one of them.

“Okay, first you’re having dinner with Abbey and me tonight where you're going to play National Parks trivia. And I don't mean just any trivia. I have some questions you've never heard before. Sent to me by the National Parks people themselves. For just such an occasion."

“Sir, I can't. I have plans…"

“Leo, cancel them. It's a Presidential order. And if necessary, I can order the 82nd Airborne to bring you there. Seven o'clock okay?"

“Well, if I have no choice, then I guess the answer is yes."

Jed smiled. "You have no choice."

Leo prayed for an international emergency.

“And, for the second part of your punishment…”

“Sir, that's not fair."

“Leo, I'll teach you not to mess with me."

“Yes, sir," Leo dejectedly replied.

“You will attend this dedication and you will be smiling and happy and eager to do so. Do you understand me?"

“Yes, Sir."

“See you at seven upstairs."

“Yes, Sir."


	3. Chapter 3

“Hi, Abbey." Leo gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Hi, Leo." She returned the peck.

“I guess you heard why we're having dinner together tonight."

“Leo, you should know better than to get Jed upset when discussing National Parks."

Leo had just arrived upstairs in the Family Dining room. Abbey had poured herself a glass of wine, waiting on Jed to come from the bedroom after changing clothes.

“I know. It just slipped out. And now I have to go with you tomorrow to the Smithsonian and smile about it."

Abbey laughed. "Leo, I'm really sorry, but that will be over quickly. I think tonight will hurt worse. When Jed called this afternoon and told me what happened, he couldn't contain his glee. I really do pity you tonight."

“Abbey! Leo! Yes, I'm gleeful. It's so rare I get a chance to give well deserved payback to someone other than my children or my wife. And I'm really going to enjoy tonight." He went over to the bar and fixed him a scotch on the rocks. And poured a club soda for Leo. He turned and handed it to Leo. A broad smile crossed his face. "Yeah Leo. After you left, Charlie asked me why you couldn't ask Margaret yourself and I told him you had a bad case of Presidential paralysis." A huge laugh followed.

Leo cringed. He hated it when Jed experienced such glee at his expense. And the evening was just getting started.

Luckily, the steward served dinner shortly after that and Abbey was able to steer the conversation away from National Parks for the duration of the dinner. So, they ate the dinner of poached fish, stewed corn, and green beans in peace. Of course, Jed didn't touch the green beans, but Leo and Abbey enjoyed them.

After the dishes had been cleared, Leo prepared himself for the onslaught. Abbey poured a third glass of wine and sat near Leo giving him whatever support she could. Jed gathered some papers from the desk, put on his glasses, and sat down facing his victim. Leo felt like a lamb going to slaughter.

“Jed, before my execution, can I place a bet?"

“Sure Leo, if you think you're that confident."

“If I answer the majority of the questions correctly, then I don't have to go with you two tomorrow."

Jed thought about it for a minute. But he was so sure that Leo was going to lose that he agreed. "Okay. And if you lose?"

“Well, if I lose, I am already taking my punishment."

“Oh no, Leo. There has to be something else."

“Jed, that's not fair."

“Leo, it's very fair. Let me think about it. I'll decide it at the end of the match."

Leo sat there dejected. He just had to win.

“Best of ten. Now the first one. The Green River runs through how many units of the National Park System?"

“Where the hell is the Green River?"

“Answer, Leo. No side comments."

Leo thought.

“Two-minute limit."

“Hey. That's a new rule."

“Two-minute limit."

“I'll guess three."

“Wrong."

This back-and-forth went on for the better part of an hour. Another drink for the drinkers and eventually the score was four to five in favor of Jed. The last question could determine the winner. Or loser.

“We didn't determine what to do in case of a tie."

“I tell you what, Leo. If you win this one, we'll go to a tiebreaker. Makes sense doesn't it?"

He mumbled something.

“What did you say, Leo?"

“Since we're playing by your rules." Abbey couldn't help but burst out laughing

“Yes, we are Leo. I am your boss after all."

There was no response from the other chair.

Leo won that question so there was a tiebreaker needed. Abbey prayed that Leo could win and show her husband that he was not always the best at this damn trivia stuff. She crossed her fingers and prayed.

“Okay Leo. Here is the tie breaker. Good luck." Jed kept looking through the papers until he found a question he was satisfied with. "All right. What National Park site contains the most lighthouses?"

Both Abbey's and Leo's mouths dropped open in shock. This was the most stupid, inane, hidden question that could ever be asked. Both of them were furious at Jed for such trickery.

“Jed! How could…"

“Be quiet, Abbey. You're encroaching on Leo's time."

She shut her mouth but knew she would have a few words with her husband later.

Leo struggled with a response because he didn't have one.

Finally, Jed jumped up and yelled "Time-out. I won! You lost! And you will enjoy yourself tomorrow. I know you will."

Leo stood, ready to leave the lion's den. "Good night, Sir. See you tomorrow."

But before he could get out the door, Jed called him back in. "Leo, because you lost, I have decided what your other punishment will be."

“Sir?"

"In Friday's Staff meeting you will have to recite, from memory, twenty-five National Parks. Have a good night, Leo. See you tomorrow."

“Good night, Sir."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Jed, you treated Leo horribly tonight." They had made it were in their bedroom and getting ready for bed.

By this time both had slipped on their night clothes.

“No, I didn't. He did it to himself by not knowing about the National Parks."

Jed was in the bathroom brushing his teeth while Abbey sat on the edge of the bed putting cream on her legs.

“You tortured him tonight. And then your last question was just inhumane. No one would know something as arcane as that. Hell, not even you. You wouldn't have known if you didn't have the answer in front of you."

“I can't hear you," he yelled from the bathroom.

“Yes, you can," she yelled back.

The water quit running and he reappeared around the bathroom door.

"Now, what did you say?"

“I said you wouldn't have even known the answer if you hadn't had the answer in front of you."

“Abigail, you don't get it. Leo is so hard to trap. I don't ever get the chance to one up him. He's smart and stays clear of any trap I might set for him. Today he accidently fell into one and I couldn't resist. I just couldn't. And tomorrow, when he's sitting with us on that dais, it will give me so much pleasure. And that pleasure will last me a long time. On Friday when he has to recite the names of National Parks from memory, it will again give me great pleasure. He's always so uptight and formal. Tonight, it was so good to see him relax a little bit."

“Yes, that's true. It's been quite a while since I've seen him this relaxed. At least until the devil named Jed Bartlet started his entertainment."

Jed leaned over and kissed his wife. "I love you very much, Abigail."

“I love you too, Jethro. But promise me one thing."

“Yes. Anything for you, sweetheart."

“Don't embarrass him in front of the Senior Staff. He does have an image to uphold."

“I promise. Just a little embarrassment. Just a little."

Abbey grabbed a pillow from behind her back and threw it at her husband.

He laughingly caught it and pushed her down on the bed. Tickling her on her stomach, they both rolled over the bed and kissed deeply. It didn't take long before things got steamier. Before long, clothes didn't matter and neither did lights.

Afterwards, lights still on and covers never turned down, they slept the sleep of satisfied lovers, each sure of the other's love and devotion.


	5. Chapter 5

Tuesday

“Good Morning, Mr. President."

“Good Morning, Leo. How did you sleep?"

“Pretty good, Sir. Considering."

Jed looked up from the paper he was reading. "Considering what?"

“Sir, I had a nightmare about National Parks."

Jed couldn't help but smile. "National Parks, Leo?"

“Yes, Sir. I dreamed that you and I were in the Grand Canyon going down some rapids and you pushed me out of the boat."

Jed laughed. "Leo, I would never do that."

“Well Sir, after last night I guess I'm not too sure."

“Leo, trust me. If you're in the boat with me, I would make sure you stayed there."

“Thank you, Sir. That's comforting to know. We leave at 10:30. The speech is at 11 and we should be back here by noon."

“That sounds great. Leo, you will have a great time."

“Yes, Sir." But there was no enthusiasm in his voice. And Jed couldn't help but notice.

“Sir, I'll be in my office until 10:30."

“Okay. See you then."

At the appointed time, Leo walked over to the Oval and he and the President walked through the White House to the Diplomatic Entrance where Abbey waited. The men allowed her to enter the limo first. Then the President entered and Leo followed. The motorcade then left for the fifteen-minute ride to the museum.

“Abbey, I wanted to thank you for last night. It was good to relax with you two again. However, I think the President played a little dirty."

Both she and Jed laughed.

“I agree, Leo. We had a little chat about that last night after you left. I told him he had treated you badly."

“Hey, wait a minute. I only did what I told you what I was going to do."

“Sir, I think you protest too much."

The car echoed with laughter. Just three friends having a relaxed conversation. Something that was so rare these days.

They arrived soon on the grounds at the Smithsonian Castle where a stage had been built outside facing the Haupt Gardens. It had been decided that the outdoor vista of the Smithsonian would present a great camera presentation for the speech and dedication service.

About a hundred and fifty chairs had been placed for the invited guests. The stage would hold twenty-five dignitaries, including the President's party, the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the National Park Service and other distinguished guests.

Jed left the car first. Leo exited next and waited as Jed helped the First Lady out. The President and First Lady, with Leo behind them walked the hundred or so yards down the center path to the stage and climbed the stage steps where they shook hands with the dignitaries on the stage and took their front row seats. Leo sat on the far end of the front row beside the First Lady.

After the welcome words, the President delivered his thirty-minute speech. He spoke of his trips to various Nationals Parks with his family and how breathtaking he had found them. He spoke of the need to preserve them for future generations and how excited he was to dedicate the new park in Montana for the enjoyment of all of the American citizens. He ended his speech by encouraging everyone to visit any and all National Parks that they could. These parks were part of the American legacy and were there for all Americans to enjoy. A standing ovation followed his speech and, as usual, he seemed to relish the limelight.

Following the closing remarks and shaking hands again of all those on the stage, he, Abbey and Leo carefully stepped off the stage. As usual, both he and Abbey decided to shake the hands of the invited guests as they walked back down the aisle. They always enjoyed getting to greet the American people, even for a brief moment. Secret Service agents were in front of them and in back of Leo, who followed behind the First Lady.

About half way down the roped off center aisle, the first shot was heard. Leo reacted instantly. He lunged toward Abbey and Jed, and by the third shot had brought both of them to the ground. On top of him were two Secret Service agents. The audience was scattering in all directions. Ron Butterfield, who had been waiting by the car at the end of the aisle, started screaming into his hand mic. "Where's the shooter? How many? Anyone have Eagle?"


	6. Chapter 6

It was Rosslyn all over again. Except this time no one could locate the shooter. More gunfire and then silence. Ron didn't hesitate to run up the aisle to the pile of bodies. The two agents on top of the pile quickly stood up. By the time Ron got there, there was blood covering the body of whomever was on top.

“Move him." Ron held his breath while the body was moved over to the grass. He quickly recognized the Chief of Staff.

"Is he alive?" he asked, not really asking anyone in particular.

One of the agents touched Leo's neck and nodded his head. "Yes."

“Help him if you can."

Turning his attention back to the pile, he knew the next person was the First Lady. She raised her head. "Ron?"

“Yes, Ma'am. Are you hurt?"

“I don't think so."

“Let me help you up."

Although the back of her dress was covered in blood, the front was clean. An agent quickly assessed her and shook his head. "No injuries, sir."

“Ron, what about Jed?"

“Ma'am, I think he's underneath you." Pointing to the body lying on the ground, Abbey quickly kneeled and shook her husband. "Jed! Talk to me."

Breathing hard, he turned over and opened his eyes. "Hi there. What happened?"

Ron, realizing that the President and the First Lady were probably okay, knew he had to get them out of there. "Mr. President, Ma'am, you have to get in the car now. We don't have the shooter in custody and I have to get you two in the White House right now. Get up NOW!"

In the confusion of the moment, both of them followed Ron's instructions without thinking. They both stood up, although Jed was a little unsteady, and was escorted by a phalanx of agents quickly to the car. Once they were safely inside, the car sped away to the safety of the White House.

Halfway to safety, both occupants realized someone was missing. Abbey looked at Jed and, each at the same time said, "Where's Leo?"

Now that Ron had the President safe, he could turn his attention to the Chief of Staff. Calling for the paramedics, he tried to assess the wounds of the only victim he knew about so far.

Leo's back had three gunshot wounds. One bullet had entered just below the right shoulder blade, one at the left kidney and one very close to the spinal cord. He turned Leo face up and saw only one exit wound, and that was in his right lung field. His breathing was ragged and there were bloody bubbles being expelled from his mouth. Ron knew that his right lung was compromised, possibly even collapsed at this point. It was not looking good. Leo’s eyes were open but not focusing on any specific point.

"Where the hell are the paramedics?" he yelled again.

“Mr. McGarry? Can you hear me?” Ron was trying to get a response from the injured Chief of Staff, but was getting none.

The paramedics arrived and Ron stepped back to allow them to work on the severely injured COS. He knew from his training that it didn’t look good for the injured man, but then there were always miracles. And he prayed silently, for everyone’s sake, including the President’s, that one would occur in this particular situation.


	7. Chapter 7

The ambulance sped through the streets of Washington headed toward the best trauma center in Washington. George Washington University Hospital was nationally recognized for its trauma care and was the place that the Secret Service chose whenever anyone at the White House needed care.

Before the ambulance left the grounds, the paramedic had decided to intubate Leo and assist his breathing. That choice would give Leo a chance to survive until he reached the hospital. Also, the paramedics had discussed the case with a trauma surgeon in the ER on the way in and they had decided to take Leo directly to surgery upon arrival. Or in the language of the ER, to redline him. Only the most critical cases went from the ambulance to the operating room. But it would save valuable minutes.

Within minutes of arrival, two surgeons began trying to save the Chief of Staff's life. He had lost a lot of blood on site and it affected his vital signs so they had to quickly replace it with packed cells and IV fluids. The surgeons took quick x-rays and determined the lungs were the priority. The next area to work on was the kidney. If he survived those operations, then he would be brought back to the OR and the bullet would be removed from the area around his spinal cord.

By the time Leo made it to GW, Jed and Abbey had arrived back at the White House. They had been told by an agent in the car that Leo had been hit and was on his way to GW. But the agent didn’t know anything about his injuries except they looked bad. Ron was still on scene, directing the investigation and looking for the shooter.

Jed quickly gathered the Senior Staff in the Oval Office while he and Abbey waited for information.

“Josh, you need to check in with Margaret. I don't know anything else about Leo right now. If she wants to go to GW, can Donna handle her duties? You need to take over his duties. Sam, help Josh with everything. Toby, you and CJ need to start drafting me a statement to release to the press about the shooting. And CJ, please let the press know that the First Lady and I are fine. I know that there was some press there, but I don't know how much they saw after the shooting started. There is no news yet on the Chief of Staff. When we have some, we will share as appropriate. The Secret Service will share details about the incident when they decide they are ready. That is all I have now. Please have them calm down. Rumors and guesses are not doing anybody any good. Okay?"

“Yes, Sir. I'll try."

The staff scattered, grateful to have some directions while their head was really at GW wondering what was going on with their boss.

“Mallory! We need to call her."

“Abbey, that's a good idea. Why don't you go upstairs and do it? We don't know anything but she needs to know what happened."

Just as Abbey stood up there was a knock on the door to the outer office.

"Come in."

The door opened. Ron Butterfield came in. "Let me update you, Mr. President."

“Please do, Ron."

Abbey and Jed sat down on the sofa.

Ron continued to stand.

“The shooter got away. We’re still looking. The only victim was Mr. McGarry."

At the word victim, Jed heard a gasp from Abbey but Ron continued. "I'm sorry Mrs. Bartlet. Mr. McGarry was still alive at last word. It's just a term we use. He was shot three times in the back, apparently trying to protect you two. The way the agents figured it, when the shots started, he lunged forward and tackled you both and the energy forced you into the ground. You, Mr. President, hit the ground hard and had the breath knocked out of you. Mrs. Bartlet was on top of you and sandwiched between you and Mr. McGarry. He was on top of you, Mrs. Bartlet and the back of your dress is covered in his blood. Two of our agents then fell on top of him. The shots stopped and our agents got off. But Mr. McGarry had to be rolled off of you, Mrs. Bartlett, to get to you and the President. After you were in the limousine, we turned our attention to Mr. McGarry. His wounds were critical and life threatening and he was redlined to the operating room upon his arrival at GW."

Ron paused so the President and First Lady could absorb all that he had just reported. After a brief pause, he continued. "We have contacted his daughter and a car has been sent to take her to the hospital. The doctors have reported the surgery will take a number of hours and they have the White House number to call afterwards."

“We are going down there."

“No, Sir."

“Yes, we are."

“Sir, neither one of you are not. The shooter is still out there and I cannot allow it."

“Ron, do you understand that it's Leo down there? He's like my brother. I have to be down there."

“Sir, I don't care if your wife was down there, pardon me Mrs. Bartlet, but you are not leaving the White House with the shooter still at large."

Jed and Ron stared at each other for a minute or two. But each knew who was going to win this match. Jed sighed and turned away. "You find this damn shooter Ron. Because if Leo lives, I will go to GW at some point. Do you hear me?"

“Sir, nobody wants to find him more than me."


	8. Chapter 8

Later than evening, Jed and Abbey had yet to hear from the hospital. Mallory had called several times and said that the surgery was continuing but the doctors had no real news.

“Abbey, this is not good, is it?"

“What do you mean?"

“The fact that Leo has been in surgery now for six hours. It means he's in pretty bad shape."

She so wanted to give her husband hope. But without firsthand information, it was hard to be honest with him. "Jed, I just don't know what to tell you. I don't know the facts and without the facts I hesitate to make a judgement. Mallory can only tell me so much."

Slamming a fist on the table, Jed yelled. "I need to be there, Abbey. I need to be there. Leo has always been there for me. I need to be there for him. Damn it."

Abbey walked over to him and tried to hug him but he broke away and changed seats. "Damn Ron. I don't care if he hasn't found the shooter. It's not fair that Mallory is down there all by herself. I should be down there. WE should be there."

Abbey could see the anguish on his face. She wanted to be there too but understood the safety issue from Ron's perspective. "What if I called Margaret and had her sit with Mallory? She's probably as upset as you are about this. In fact, probably more so."

“That would help a little. At least Mallory would not be alone. And tell Margaret not to worry about the office. Josh will have Donna take over until Leo is better. "

“That's nice of you, Jed. You know how much she cares about Leo."

A smile crossed Jed's face for the first time since the shooting. "Abbey, I think the feeling is mutual but Leo won't admit it."

“That sounds interesting. We'll have to talk about it later, though."

Abbey made the call. Margaret was very happy to follow the direction of the President and quickly drove to GW. She found Mallory in the Surgery waiting room and both women sat down and waited for more news.

Nine hours after beginning, the surgery was over and Leo was finally settled in the Surgical ICU. Dr. Turner found Mallory and Margaret in the waiting room to report on the outcome.

“Miss O'Brien?"

“That's me. My father?" Her heart was beating faster awaiting whatever news Dr. Turner had to give her.

“Here's your father's condition. We consider him critical but stable. We removed part of his right lung. The bullet really chewed up tissue on the lower lobe and it wasn't salvageable. The second bullet was found in the left kidney. We were able to remove the bullet without too much tissue damage to the kidney but we are unsure about the structural damage. Only time will tell us about that. Because of the extensive surgery for those two conditions, we did not touch the bullet that was very near the spinal cord. If he regains his strength, then another surgery will be needed to remove that. But let me tell you, your father's history as an alcoholic and addiction to pills had already done extensive damage to his body. This incident only accentuated that damage. I just don't know how much more his heart can take."

Mallory was stunned. "What are you trying to tell me Dr. Turner?"

“I am telling you that anyone with these injuries would have about a fifty percent chance of survival. But with your father's additional medical history, he may have only a twenty-five percent chance. It'll depend on him now. He has to decide if he wants to live. I've done my best. Of course, we'll do anything and everything we can, but it is all up to him."

Mallory nodded but tears still streaked down her cheeks. Margaret leaned over and put her arms around Mallory's shoulders. "It'll be OK, Mal. He's a fighter. He's not going to give up easily. You know that."

Mallory could only nod her head.

Margaret looked at the doctor. "Dr. Turner, I know it's late, but the President and First Lady are very anxious to hear about their friend. Can I give you their number?"

“Certainly. I'll be glad to talk with them."

Margaret broke her hug and dug in her purse for a piece of paper and a pen. She wrote down a number and handed it back to the doctor. "That's the First Lady's personal number. Please keep this confidential."

“I certainly will. Thank you."

By this time Mallory had regained some semblance of calmness. "Can I see my father?"

“Yes, He's on the fourth floor. In Surgical ICU. Please just stay a minute."

“Okay. I will. Margaret, coming with me?"

“Absolutely."

Jed and Abbey were settled in the Residence for the evening when her cell phone rang. She didn't know the number but knew that anyone who had that number was cleared to call it.

“Hello?"

“Mrs. Bartlet? This is Dr. Turner from GW. I just completed the surgery on Mr. McGarry and I was given this number to call with an update."

“Yes, Dr. Turner. I am putting you on speaker so my husband can hear the report as well." She mouthed 'Leo's doctor' and he quickly joined her on the sofa.

“That's fine."

“How is he, Doctor? How did the surgery go?"

“Well, Mrs. Bartlet or should I say Dr. Bartlet?"

“Either one is fine. Please go ahead."

“As you can tell, the surgery took quite a while. There was a lot of damage." Both Jed and Abbey flinched when he said that. "The first bullet we removed was from the lower lobe of the right lung. It really chewed up the tissue and we thought it was prudent to remove that lobe. That took a long time because of the vascularity of that area. He had lost a good deal of blood before we got him in surgery and he continued to lose a lot before the surgery was finished."

“How were his vital signs during surgery?"

“They were up and down the whole time. They really didn't stabilize until we were closing. All in all, I think we gave him a total of five units of packed cells and a couple of units of whole blood."

Abbey flinched at that statement, knowing herself that signified a huge volume. "Go on."

“We then went on to the left kidney. Our chief renal surgeon, Dr. Neil, took over at that time but I remained with her in the OR. She resected the kidney and removed the bullet. She said that there looked to be minimal tissue damage but she doesn’t know about the underlying structure. Only time will tell how much function he will have. But as you know we can function quite well with only one kidney."

“Dr. Turner, I understand there were three bullets."

“Yes, Ma'am. The third one lodged against Mr. McGarry's spinal cord approximately at the second lumbar vertebrae. We didn't have time to do an MRI so we don't know the exact location and whether it's pressing on any nerves. The pre-op X-ray just showed it close to the cord. We made the decision prior to surgery that we would leave it in for the time being and if he survives this surgery, then we would do a second surgery and go after this third bullet. But Ma'am, I need to tell you what I'm most worried about."

“You're not worried about this?" Jed almost yelled into the phone.

“Excuse me a minute, Dr. Turner, " Abbey said as she hit the mute button. "Jed, please! We'll talk when I'm finished. Please be quiet. Okay?"

Jed nodded.

Abbey unmuted the phone. "Please continue Dr. Turner."

“From the medical records we have on file about Mr. McGarry, they show a long history of alcohol abuse and pill addiction. Even though he's been sober for a number of years, you know very well the damage it does to one's body, especially the heart, lungs and vascular system. And I'm very concerned that this damage, plus his advanced age and stressful job, dramatically lower his chances of survival. You're very aware of this, aren't you?"

Abbey looked at her husband's face as the doctor was going through this list of problems. She saw the fear cross his eyes and his color drain from his face. "Yes, I am. So, what are his chances, doctor?"

“Mrs. Bartlet, like I told his daughter, normally a patient with his injuries, I would give 50-50. But add on the addiction and alcoholism, in my professional opinion. I have to lower it to twenty-five percent."

Even Abbey gasped audibly at that. Jed looked stunned.

He got up and started pacing around the bedroom. He was too upset to sit.

“Dr. Turner, is there anything we can do? My husband has been best friends with Mr. McGarry for almost forty years. I've known Leo...Mr. McGarry almost as long."

“Mrs. Bartlet, I told his daughter that it is now up to Mr. McGarry to decide. If he wants to live, then he has to fight for it. We've done all we can. We will continue to support him and do whatever we can but, as you know, medicine can only do so much. Sometimes it takes that unknown part of every human spirit to want to remain."

Abbey paused. She knew that only too well from her medical career. The patients she thought would die somehow miraculously lived. The patients that should have survived but didn't. Medical science didn't know everything.

“I understand, Dr. Turner. If there are changes, good or bad, please notify me immediately. No matter what time of the day or night."

“I certainly will. Mr. McGarry is lucky to have such good friends. I hope to see you and the President soon. Good night."

“Good night to you as well. And thanks so much."


	9. Chapter 9

Abbey left the sofa and walked up behind Jed who was staring out the bedroom window. "Jed, talk to me."

He continued to stare, unsure of his voice if he talked.

“You can't keep this in. You know that."

“He, he, he…" was all Jed could muster.

“He what?"

Jed spun around and looked his wife directly in the eye, tears welling there, trying to fall but not quite making it out. "He could die. He could die anytime."

Abbey nodded. "Yes, he could. But the doctors will do everything they can to stop that from happening."

“Can they play God?"

Abbey didn't have a reply.

“Can they, Abbey? Can they?"

“No Jed. They can't." she whispered back. "But we can pray that God can help Leo live. We can ask God to make him want to live. You of all people know how stubborn Leo Thomas McGarry is. We have to ask God to bring that stubbornness forward and use it to help Leo survive this. He survived his family. He survived being shot down in Vietnam. He survived the pills and alcoholism. He's a survivor, Jed. And he will survive this. We have to have faith that God will help him survive this. You heard Dr. Turner. It's all up to Leo now. The doctors will help him but he has to help himself first. He has to make the first move. And the only way we can help do it is to pray to God to help Leo make that first move."

Jed looked at his wife. He knew there was a reason he had married her. And at this moment his love for her had exploded beyond whatever boundaries it had ever been at. Her love and devotion for a friend of his was beyond his greatest hope. He placed a finger under her chin and brought her chin toward his. "Do you know how much I love you right now?"

“How much?"

“This much."

Their lips closed upon each other's. The electricity sparked between them as only truly devoted lovers' lips would do. As only thirty-five years of truly devoted and deeply loved married individuals would experience.

“Tired?"

“Yeah. Long day."

They both walked over to the bed, slid under the covers, and they slept through the night, close to one another, assured of their love for one another.

Their sleep was disturbed by the ring of the phone. Jed rolled over, turned on the bedside lamp, and saw it was almost 4:00 am. "Oh, hell."

He picked up the phone by the bedside but only got a dial tone. But the ringing continued.

He finally realized it was Abbey's cell phone sitting on the sofa. 'Who the hell was calling her at this hour?’

He got out of bed and walked over to it. Picking up he opened it and said, "Yes?"

“Mrs. Bartlet?"

“No. This is Jed Bartlet."

“Oh, Mr. President. I'm sorry. This is Dr. Turner."

Jed's stomach sank. He turned toward the bed. "Abbey! Something's happened at the hospital."


	10. Chapter 10

Early Wednesday

Abbey had been partially awakened by Jed's stirring. She usually was. But the instant Jed had yelled "Abbey!" her medical training kicked in and she was instantly awake. She threw back the covers and ran across the room. Grabbing the phone from her husband she knew any call at this hour wasn't good news.

“Yes, Dr. Turner?"

“I'm sorry to call at this hour but you said…"

“Yes, no problem. What happened?"

“Mr. McGarry experienced a cardiac arrest about an hour ago."

“Oh my God! Did he..." Abbey couldn't bear to finish the statement. Jed was looking at her, desperately wanting to know what was being said. She held up her hand, attempting to tell him not to interrupt.

“We were able to get him back. But this is exactly what I was afraid of. All of his past history has done such damage that I just don't know if his body can withstand much more."

“Is his daughter there?"

“No. I was going to call her."

“No, I will call her. Are you sure he's okay right now?"

“Yes, normal sinus rhythm. Still on the ventilator from surgery. Of course, he's being watched closely. I was staying in the hospital so I got the call and I was present during the code. Thank goodness he came right back, but the next time I can't be sure that will be the case. Of course, you as a cardio-thoracic surgeon understand this."

“Yes, I do. Thank you so much for calling. Like I said, call me anytime. Day or night. Goodbye."

“Goodbye."

As Abbey clicked off, Jed was right in her face. "Abbey, what happened? A doctor doesn't call at this hour of the morning for nothing."

“Jed, sit down."

He did as he was told, fearful of what she was going to tell him.

She sat next to him and took his hands in hers. "Leo went into cardiac arrest. His heart stopped. But the doctors got him right back. He's fine now."

“What? His heart stopped? He's fine? What?"

“Jed, I told you last night that Leo could have complications. This was something that could happen and it did. Mallory was not there, so I have to call her. She needs to know."

“Are you sure he's okay?"

“As okay as he can be, given the severity of his injuries and the status of his overall health."

They both sat there for a few more minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. The clock now showed 4:30.

“Well, I might as well go make some coffee and then get a shower. I'm wide awake now. Maybe I can even beat Debbie to the office. Won't she be surprised?"

Jed stood, and put on his robe. Opening the doors to the hallway, he smiled at the two agents who he thinks got caught by surprise. The President was never up willingly at this hour of the morning. After turning on the coffee, he went back to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Abbey went over to the bed and grabbed her robe as well. She didn't want to give their agents more of a floor show then they already had had on previous entries into their private area. 'Ha private.' she thought. 'What a joke.’

Then she returned to the sofa and dialed Mallory. She hated calling her at this hour but Mallory needed to know about her Dad. She deserved to know. Leo might not have much longer and Mallory deserved to spend as much time as possible with him.

Jed got out of the shower and walked across the bedroom. He noted Abbey staring into space. "Did you get Mallory?"

“Oh, yes. Of course, she was upset. But she was going to go right down there. Jed, please talk to Ron today. I really think if we don't see Leo today it might be too late." A single tear rolled down her cheek thinking that they would never see Leo alive again.

Jed's heart broke. "I understand, Abbey. I want to go as well. But Ron has his reasons."

“I don't give a damn about his reasons! Leo's been our friend for years. I feel we are deserting him when he needs us the most." By this point tears were constantly flowing down her face.

Jed walked over to her and sat down next to her. "Hey, calm down." He wiped some of the tears away. "I'll do my best. I will. Can you just stop crying? I hate to see you so upset."

She nodded through her tears, knowing that her emotions were probably getting the best of her logic. Of course, she wanted Jed and her to be safe but she also wanted to see Leo for herself. She wanted to touch him and encourage him to fight. To come back to them from wherever he was.

"Okay. I'll try. Let me know as soon as you can. I have to go to the office so call me over there, will you?"

He pulled her close and hugged her tightly. "Of course. As soon as I talk to Ron. The very minute."

“Promise?"

“I promise, Abbey. I promise."


	11. Chapter 11

Debbie and Charlie looked at each other. They rarely heard loud voices coming from the Oval Office. But these had been going on for some time and they knew who the arguing was between. Ron Butterfield, Head of Presidential Security who never ever had been known to raise his voice, and the President of the United States were having a historical battle. And the two people in the outer office couldn't tell who was winning and who was losing. Usually a call would be put in to the Chief of Staff to come in and stop it, but bets were the heated discussion was about the Chief of Staff.

Josh came into the Outer Office to check availability of the President for a quick question and noted the sound coming from the Oval. "Is that who I think it is?"

“Yep," was all that Debbie would say.

“Holy crap!"

“Josh! Really!"

“I'm sorry. Just never heard it this way. Don't you think we should do something?"

“No, I don't and if you know what's good for you, you won't touch this with a ten-foot pole. It's between the two of them," Debbie replied.

“But, Debbie…"

“Josh, please forget you ever heard this. Remember, you want to stay healthy."

About that time the door to the Oval Office opened and a red-faced Butterfield walked past them, not really looking at anyone in particular. They heard the door to the outer Colonnade slam and looked outside to see the President, also red-faced, walk quickly by them followed by his ever-present shadow.

The three people in the outer office looked at each other. Finally, Debbie said, "Want to make a bet who won?"

The President made his way to the East Wing and the First Lady's office. Lilli stood, surprised to see the President enter the outer office. "Mr. President, Sir, She's…"

“Thanks Lilli. She's expecting me." Jed walked into Abbey's office and shut the door.

Abbey looked up, surprised to see her husband. She broke into a smile. "Well, look who came to see me."

“Abigail. I'm in no mood for niceties."

“Well, then. Look at what the cat dragged in.'

Jed sat down in the chair in front of her desk. "That's not nice."

“Well, what the hell kind of mood are you in? Please tell me so I can say the right things."

“Okay. So, I'm snippy."

“Jed, you're more than snippy. What the hell is wrong?"

He paused, then sighed. "I just went fifteen rounds with Ron Butterfield."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, that must have been interesting. Who won?"

His face broke out in a smile. "I did. And it wasn't a TKO. I knocked him out."

“Oh my God, Jed. Is he alive?"

“Sort of. He's probably not going to talk to me for the next century, but I got what I wanted. We are going to the hospital this afternoon to see Leo."

“We are?" She jumped out of her chair and leaped into his lap. But that was too much for the chair and as it broke, it spilled them onto the floor.

The door flew open and two agents flew into the room. "Mr. President? Mrs. Bartlet? Are you okay? Either one of you hurt?"

“No, we're fine. Just our pride." Between the laughing episodes, they managed to grab the offered hands. They were pulled off the floor and were guided over to the sofa.

“We're fine. Just leave us alone, okay?"

“Yes, Sir. We'll be outside if you need us."

As the door closed, they both were still laughing. "I guess that report will make Ron laugh. It will surely make one for the White House history books."

“Jed, I'm not sure I can look at my agents ever again with a straight face."

“Hell, what about me? When the staff hears about this, they will laugh their heads off."

“Oh my God, Jed, what about the press? Can't you see the headline? 'The First Couple breaks a chair jumping each other'".

At that thought, they both started laughing again.


	12. Chapter 12

Current Time

Jed turned to her; his eyes full of tears. "We owe Leo our lives, Abbey. Why did he do it?"

Abbey was crying now. "Because he loved us." They both turned again to view the body, not the soul of Leo McGarry.

“I'm going in there."

“Wait. Let's make sure it's ok."

“You ask, Abbey. I'm going in there." Jed pushed the door open and walked over to Leo's bedside. He was shocked how pale his friend was, paler than he looked through the window. He moved his hand onto Leo's arm, appalled at the coolness of the skin, forcing himself to keep his hand there. "Oh God, Leo. Why did you do that? You stepped in front of the bullets. You know Ron told you not to. At Rosslyn, you felt guilty that it was me, not you, that got hurt. You shouldn't have. There were two agents right behind you. They were there to help. They are trained to do anything necessary. Even take the bullets. Not you."

Jed paused, just looking at the steady rhythm of Leo's chest up and down, being artificially raised and lowered by a machine. "Leo, you have to fight to return to us. To Mallory if no one else. You're the only one that can do it. The doctors have done everything they can to help. Now it's up to you."

Jed felt another presence in the room, but when he looked around there was no one else. He bowed his head and sent a prayer to God to help his friend come back to them. To help Leo decide that he wanted to live. When he opened his eyes, Mallory was on the other side of the bed, holding Leo's other hand.

“Thanks for coming, Uncle Jed. He needs all the encouragement we can give him."

“Hi, doll baby. How are you doing?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's been a long day since Abbey called me this morning. After talking to Dr. Turner, I made a decision."

Jed nodded. "We saw the order."

“I couldn't see any point in keeping him here if he didn't want to stay. That's why I signed the order. The DNR order. I've seen people resuscitated and it's not pretty. So, if Daddy doesn't want to stay, I'm not going to force him. I know he believes in a higher power so now it's between him and the higher power. We have no right to interfere."

Jed shook his head. "I understand." His face was covered in tears at this point but it was Mallory's choice. And Leo's. "I'm just glad I got here to see him. Is Abbey coming in?"

Mallory nodded. "She's making arrangements with the hospital for Last Rites and then she'll be in. Margaret wanted to give you some privacy."

Jed nodded. He just kept looking at his friend. Then he realized something. The temperature on Leo's arm seemed warmer. But maybe that was his mind playing tricks. He looked at Leo's face and it seemed a little pinker. But maybe it was because he had hoped it so. "Mallory, excuse me for a moment, please."

“Sure."

Jed left the cubicle and walked over the nurse's desk. "Excuse me, but could you go check Mr. McGarry?" He explained his sense of changes in Leo's condition but also his hesitancy of thinking he really saw them as well. He knew the nurses could better assess any subtle changes than he could.

“Yes, Sir. I'll be glad to."

She went in there and did a lengthy assessment. Mallory came out of the room and walked over to where Jed and Abbey were standing. "What's going on?"

Jed patted her on her arm. "Let's just wait and see." Abbey looked at him but didn't say anything. She figured she would know soon enough.

In a few minutes, Dr, Turner got off the elevator, nodded to the group waiting outside the cubicle and went in. The nurse pulled the blinds closed and the group waited.

Waited for what they weren't sure.

But they waited.


	13. Chapter 13

Jed, Abbey and Mallory waited outside Leo's ICU cubicle as several health professionals came and went but there was no news.

“Did someone call for a priest?"

They turned their heads to see a Father standing next to them.

“Yes, Father," Abbey responded. "We have a very close friend and her father," motioning to Mallory, "who is very ill and he might not make it much longer."

Jed interrupted her. "Excuse me, Father. But we might not need you after all. Can you wait a few more minutes?"

Abbey looked at her husband, very confused at this change in perspective. "What do you mean, Jed? Leo is dying and we all know it."

“Abbey, Mallory, I didn't want to get your hopes up, but maybe not. Can we just wait a few more minutes? Father, do you mind waiting?"

“Not at all."

“Uncle Jed, please…"

But before Mallory could finish, the door opened and Dr. Turner stepped out, a small smile of victory on his face.

"Mr. President, I assume?" reaching out to shake his hand.

“Yes. Do you have news?"

“Mrs. Bartlet. Glad to meet you in person. And Ms. O'Brien. I do have good news. Now this is only a small step but I will take anything the good Lord will give us. Right, Father?"

“Amen."

“Tell us, please," asked the obviously anxious Mallory.

“Your father's vital signs have strengthened, he's breathing on his own so we have removed the ventilator, and he's semi-conscious. I can't explain it all but I'll take it. If you would like to see him…"

He didn't even finish the sentence before all three pushed past him and went to Leo's bedside.

Mallory spoke first. "Daddy? Daddy? It's Mallory."

A very soft but raspy voice came through cracked lips. "Mal?"

“Yes, Daddy. It's me." Tears fell onto the bed.

“Leo, It's Jed and Abbey."

“You…. live?"

“Yes, we're alive. You stopped the bullets from hitting us. Do you know you're a jerk?" Abbey elbowed him in the ribs. "Jed! Stop that!"

A weak smile crossed Leo's face. "Yeah."

Jed's voice softened. "I'm glad you're awake."

“How bad?"

The ones standing looked across at each other and couldn't decide what to tell him.

Dr. Turner, who had come back into the room, answered for them. "Mr. McGarry, this is your doctor. You were seriously injured. But we are taking great care of you. With a lot of love from your family, I am sure you'll get better real soon."

Leo nodded. That was about all he could take right now. Within seconds, he had drifted back down to the place where pain and reality was a thing of the past.

Abbey quickly looked at the monitor, just to double check that the readings were normal. Satisfied, she motioned for everyone to come out of the room. She still had a couple of questions she needed answered.

“Okay, A couple of questions. First, Dr. Turner. When can you go in after the third bullet? As we both know, the longer it stays in the longer for potential damage."

“At the earliest, it will be tomorrow. I want him stronger and more awake before more anesthesia. We'll do an MRI just prior to surgery and know exactly where we're going. The Chief of Neurosurgery will do the operation. I'll have to let you know the time when I know. And again, it's only if he gets stronger. I'm not willing to risk his health if he's not strong enough to make it through a second surgery."

“Thank you so much. Any other questions for Dr. Turner?"

Seeing none, she said, "I know you are busy. We won't keep you." He had been dismissed so he turned and walked away.

Jed smiled, only to himself. He could jump her right here, in this hallway, right now. He loved her in doctor mode. Soo sexy.

Abbey turned to both of them. "Let's go to the waiting area. I have a few questions for my brilliant husband. And Mal, you can stay or leave. Your choice."

All Mallory replied was "Yes, I'll stay." However, she was thinking, ‘Oh hell, Uncle Jed is really going to get it now. Can’t wait to see this.’

They got seated and Abbey turned to her husband. As she had just said, her brilliant husband. As Jed readily knew, she only used those terms when she had something to say so he braced himself for Hurricane Abbey.

She started off calm. But it wouldn't last long. "Okay Jed. What led you to draw the conclusions you did about a change in Leo's status?"

“Well…"

“And who gave you the expertise to make those conclusions?"

“Well…"

“Did you get a medical degree somewhere that I wasn't aware of?"

“Well…"

“Didn't you think that maybe Mallory and I would have liked to be told rather quickly of those changes instead of you slinking around…"

“IF YOU WOULD SHUT UP AND GIVE ME A CHANCE TO ANSWER, I WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU WANT!"

The agents outside were startled at the raised voice of the President coming from the waiting room. They couldn't help but turn their heads at the unusual volume but quickly resumed their normal forward-looking position. This was definitely a discussion between a husband and wife. They both had had their share of these types of conversations in their own personal lives.

Abbey remained quiet. It wasn't too often that Jed raised his voice to her in public and she guessed she had been kind of badgering him.

“Now, that's better. Let me explain. When I first went in there and touched Leo, his skin was so cold and pale. I knew the outlook was poor. But after talking to him, well actually mainly talking to myself, and giving him up to God's will, I started to notice a slightly warmer skin temperature. When I looked at his face, I thought that maybe it had a little color. Maybe I was seeing things that I was only hoping for. Then I was talking to Mallory and she kept saying that Leo's fate was now between him and his Higher Power. I knew I wasn't hallucinating. I just knew what I was feeling and seeing was real. That was when I got the nurse. I wanted confirmation on whether or not what I was seeing was real or not. And I didn't want to get Mallory's hopes up because if it wasn't then I would have gotten her hopes up for nothing. You do understand that, don't you doll baby?"

“Yes, Uncle Jed. I forgive you."

“Thank you." He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I love you. Abbey and I both do. We'll always be here for you."

“I know that."

“Abbey, now do you understand? I just didn't want to get your hopes up and have them crashed if what I was seeing wasn't true."

Abbey stood and kissed her husband. "I love you, jackass."

“Me too."

The agent cleared his throat.

They all looked up to see one of the agents standing in front of them. "Mr. President, excuse me for interrupting. Mr. Butterfield has a report for you. He would like to see you as soon as possible back at the White House. Both you and the First Lady."

“Did he say what it was about?"

“Yes, Sir. The shooter has been caught."


	14. Chapter 14

The motorcade pulled into the driveway at the White House. Jed and Abbey had been quiet during the drive back from the hospital, each lost in their own thoughts. Each reliving that horrible incident at the Smithsonian that had almost cost their best friend his life and could have hurt either one of them if he had not stepped in front of the gunfire.

When the limo stopped, Jed got out and put out his hand to assist Abbey. He walked next to her down the Colonnade, reaching the familiar door being held open by the agents. They proceeded to sit on one of the two facing brocade sofas while Ron waited for them behind the other sofa.

Taking a deep breath, Jed asked the first question, "Who is he?"

Ron looked steadily at the President of the United States and answered. "One of ours."

Jed and Abbey exchanged looks. He turned back to Ron. "What? One of ours? What the hell does that mean?"

“Sir, Tom Daniels was a Secret Service Agent assigned to the counterfeit currency division when he was fired last month for fraud. When he left, there was a mix up and he kept his official ID and weapon. His ID allowed him to get within your security perimeter and his weapon was rapid fire so he could get off the series of shots that brought Mr. McGarry down. Having the ID also allowed him to get out of the perimeter without suspicion."

“How did you track him down and what was his motive?"

“Sir, the motive was obvious. Hatred over being what he thought was an unjustified firing. I can assure you we had enough evidence to bring criminal charges which we were in the process of doing when this occurred. How we tracked him down was a little more complicated. It's all in the report on your desk. I'll try and be succinct. After each incident such as this, the Service accounts for each bullet fired and which gun it came from. When we got the two bullets from Mr. McGarry's surgery, they were instantly identified as Secret Service-issued, but not from any weapon on the scene. We started backtracking weapons and realized that Agent Daniel's weapon was unaccounted for. We then went back and realized that it and his ID had never been confiscated during his out processing. We located Mr. Daniels and his weapon this morning and were able to match the bullets to his gun. We are absolutely sure that he fired the gun at the Smithsonian. After some assistance, he confessed."

“Ron, do I want to know about this so-called 'assistance'?"

“No, Sir. Once we get the third bullet, the case will be closed."

“What about the person who messed up the out processing?"

“They have been let go, Sir. With the proper steps, I assure you."

Jed stayed in the Oval, catching up on work that he missed while at the hospital. Once Ron left, he gathered the Senior Staff and let them know about Leo's improved status, but urged them to continue to pray. His recovery was not yet guaranteed and he still had a tricky surgery to get through. But they still left in an upbeat mood, happier than they had been since the shooting.

Upstairs, Abbey also was more hopeful. She kept thinking back to Monday night. How relaxed they all were. Of course, with Jed playing the devil trivia host, Leo was having a hard time, but it was still different from the day-to-day stress that they faced in the West Wing. It had given them both a chance to decompress and deal with each other on a different level. She prayed that they both would have another chance to relax again.

At ten, Jed still had not returned. But then Abbey knew they had taken a long time this afternoon at the hospital. Time usually spent holding meetings, reading briefing papers, having phone conversations with leaders around the world. She put on her pajamas and settled in the bed to read. Her cell phone rang and her heart stopped briefly. Hoping it was not bad news, she answered. "Yes?"

“Abbey."

“Yes, Mallory. Is your father okay?"

“Yes. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. The doctors have just left and they think Dad is strong enough for surgery tomorrow. He's been awake for longer periods of time this evening and is aware of things. I'm so happy. I told him a brief version of what happened to him and his injuries and he understands how serious they are. He even signed his own consent form for tomorrow's surgery."

“That's a positive step, honey."

“I know. But what I wanted to tell you is that Dad wants to talk to you and Uncle Jed before he leaves for the operating room. He won't tell me about what. Just insists he won't leave until he talks to you both."

“What time is the surgery?"

“Well, I think that will be a problem for Uncle Jed."

“Why?"

“They want to take him at 5:00 am. The doctors want to do an MRI first thing which would take about an hour and then take him directly into the OR. Because the surgery could take a long time, of course depending on what the MRI shows, they want to get started early. That means leaving the room no later than 4:30. That's only a few hours from now. But I don't know that you two can get here that early."

Abbey looked at the clock, which now showed 10:30. They would get only about five hours sleep, if they went to sleep right now. But this was for Leo. She knew they would do anything for him.

"Don't worry, Mal. We'll be there. We'll try to be there by 4:00 at the absolute latest. If you see your Dad, tell him not to worry. We'll see him in a few hours. And tell him we love him."

“Thanks, Abbey. I love you two so much." 

“We love you too. Goodnight, Mallory. See you soon."

Abbey hung up the phone. What to do first? Call Jed.

“Jed?"

“Hi. What's up?

“When are you coming up?"

“Soon."

“Mallory called and they scheduled Leo's surgery for early in the morning. When I say early, I mean 5:00 am."

“5:00 am?"

“Yes. And he insists that he wants to talk to us before he goes."

“Five, Abbey?"

“Yes. That means we leave here at 3:30."

“Oh hell. I'm on my way."

“Okay. I'll let the Service know."

“Okay." Jed hung up. 'What I do for my friends' he thought. But this was for Leo. He left his briefcase on his desk. He didn't have any time for reading. He barely had time for sleep.

Abbey got out of bed, put her robe on, and crossed the room to the double bedroom doors. Opening them to the surprised agents, she smiled. "Paul, I need for you to notify your office."

“Yes, Ma'am."

“We need to be at GW in the morning at 4:00 am for Leo McGarry's surgery. That means we need to leave here at 3:30 am."

“Yes Ma'am. I will notify Mr. Butterfield and we'll be ready."

“Thank you, Paul. And Paul?"

“Yes, Ma'am?"

“Please tell Ron we're sorry. I just found out about this."

“Yes. Ma'am. I will."


	15. Chapter 15

Thursday

Even with two cups of strong coffee between them, Jed and Abbey yawned all the way to the hospital. It was one thing to stay up all night but quite another to sleep for three and half hours then try and get up. But they had to be there for Leo and for Mallory. And whatever urgent thing Leo wanted to tell them, they knew he wouldn't go to surgery until he said whatever was on his mind.

Ron had been nice about the sudden change in plans. At least they thought so. He personally met them in the car and was riding in the front seat of the SUV. He didn't seem sleepy, but then his job was to be alert at all times, watching for anything that might bring harm to the First Couple.

Abbey noticed that Jed was unusually quiet on the trip to the hospital. She turned to him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I wonder what Leo wants to talk to us about. And Abbey, I’m scared. You keep saying that this surgery is tricky. Leo could die.”

“Yes. But you have to believe that the doctors wouldn’t go ahead with it unless they thought he was stable enough to make it though.”

“But still…”

“Jed, this is the time we have to have faith in the doctors.”

“I do, but I’m still scared.”

“Well, when we see him, you have to show him strength. You have to believe it yourself so you can provide it to him.”

“I don’t know if I can. What if I start to tear up? You know he can read me like a book. He’s known me too long not to see right through me, especially if I’m trying to fake something.”

Abbey reached over and took his free hand and squeezed it. “I do, Babe. But you can’t fake it today. You have to believe it so he will believe it.”

Jed took another sip of coffee, pausing so he could gather his thoughts.

“Well, if I start, you have to promise me something.”

“What?”

“Don’t draw attention to me. Maybe he won’t notice. Maybe he’ll be so focused on his surgery that he won’t notice me.”

“I promise. But you know only too well how observant he is, Jed. Like you said, he can read you like a book. So please try and hold yourself together. Not for me or for Mallory. But for Leo. At least until he leaves for surgery. Like I said, what he needs most is our strength, not our worry or tears. We can cry later.”

“I can only try.” Jed sighed as he looked out the window. “We’re here.”

The motorcade pulled up to the deserted front entrance of the hospital and discharged the Presidential couple. Only a scattering of staff was coming or going and were startled to see the activity of the motorcade at this time of day. But they too were in a fog and probably thought it was just a dream.

Making their way to the Surgical ICU floor, Mallory met them at the elevator.

“I'm so sorry you had to come so early."

“Don't worry, Mal. It's been a while since I was up this early, but it's okay." Abbey saw a tinge of fear in her eyes and knew that she knew that this surgery was going to be tricky. "Did you get any sleep?"

“Not really. Dad and I did a lot of talking in between his naps. But he really didn't want to sleep much. He said he would sleep during the surgery."

“Yeah. I can understand his perspective."

“Go on in. He's waiting on you."

“Okay. Jed, are you coming?'

“Yes. Let's go."

They pushed the door open and saw Leo propped up on several pillows. That crooked grin was in place, just waiting for his two best friends to enter.

“Hi you two. Sorry about the time. I couldn't influence the schedule this time."

A quiet laughter spread through the room.

Jed and Abbey split and held Leo's hands on each side of the bed. Looking down at him, they did think he had better color and his skin was much warmer than it had been the first time they had seen him.

“I want to say something and I don't want you to interrupt. It's very important to me. Do you understand?" He looked back and forth to each one of them, waiting on a response.

Jed and Abbey nodded.

“Okay. Two things. First, I need you to promise that both of you will take care of Mallory should I not come out of this surgery. I know this will be dangerous and tricky. I'm not a fool. That's why I signed the consent myself, so she wouldn't have guilt if something went wrong. There won't be a problem with money but money can't buy everything. If she gets married, I want you, Jed, to walk her down the aisle. You're her godfather and I think at times you have been more of a father to her than I have."

Jed opened his mouth to speak but Leo raised his finger to stop him.

“I’m not finished. If she has children, you will be the children's grandfather. I want you to tell the children stories of me and you but raise them in the love of your house and the warmth of your religion. Mallory will allow that. She remembers the love in your household as a child and the warmth of attending mass with your girls. Jenny and I probably failed her in both areas. So please make sure any of her children experiences such love and warmth."

“Second, I want you and Abbey to know that I have only incredible memories of both of you. Since the time I first met you when we were much younger and through the years, I have never, ever regretted knowing you. Some times were rockier than others but there have never been any regrets. Remember when you wrote me from Notre Dame and told me you had met the girl you were going to marry? You were going to be a priest for God's sake, Jed. What did you want me to say? All I could say was that I hoped you had made the right choice. Obviously, you did. In Vietnam I lived for your letters. Literally lived for them. And then after I married Jenny and Mallory came along, we had a few good years as a family. But then I blew it. I drank it away. I popped pills. But you were always there. You didn't preach. Neither one of you. You probably didn't like it. You probably talked about it behind my back but you didn't preach. When I finally admitted myself to Sierra-Tucson, you both were there. Jenny tried but our history with each other was sometimes too much. But not you two. Even with your young family, your professional lives, you were there and I knew it. When I came to New Hampshire to persuade you to run for President, you didn't laugh me back to Washington. You listened carefully to me. You both listened to my arguments, made a choice and then committed. I know it was hard on family life. And as President it's been hard. But I wouldn't change a thing."

A knock on the door stopped the conversation. The nurse stuck her head in the door. "Mr. McGarry, we're ready to take you."

“Give me just a minute please."

“Just a minute. That's all."

The door shut and Leo looked at his friends. "I've said what I need to say. If I don't come back, I've said my piece. I've also made my peace with God. Whatever happens will happen. I love you both more than you'll ever know. If you remember nothing else, always remember that."

He paused. "Now you can tell the nurse to come back in. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

The OR team moved Leo to the stretcher and pushed it out to the hall where Mallory and the First Couple were waiting. Mallory kissed her father and said, “Daddy, I love you.”

Leo looked at his only child and replied, “I love you with all my heart, Mallory. Never forget it.” 

The trio watched as the stretcher, accompanied by an agent, made its way onto the elevator and the doors closed. Now, they would have to wait for a call from the operating room or a visit from one of the doctors themselves

Mallory turned around, tears cascading down her face, and the President pulled her into a tight hug. “He’s tough, Mal. He’s going to be fine.” Jed wanted desperately to believe those words himself.


	16. Chapter 16

The trio made their way over to the waiting room. The hospital had done whatever they could to make it as comfortable as possible. They had added two sofas with nice throws and the White House had installed a secure phone overnight. The hospital kitchen had sent two urns of coffee with a selection of fruits and sweet rolls. They planned to serve sandwiches and salads at lunch. There would be no one else using the space during the day. Other families waiting for family members having surgery were being directed to another floor.

Exhausted before the day even began, the trio sat down after pouring themselves another cup of coffee. They didn't speak to each other because they were each lost in their own thoughts.

Jed was trying to make sense of what Leo had said before he was taken to surgery. He had been able to keep his emotions in check but it had been so hard. Especially at the end when Leo had said he had made his peace with God and would accept whatever outcome there was to be. He thought that Leo would say he was going to fight but it sounded like he was giving up. That was so unlike him. But it was too late to challenge him on that comment. Now it was just a matter of waiting. A long wait at that.

Abbey had not really been surprised at Leo's words. It was very real for patients facing critical surgery to want to make peace with family. And God. And Leo did consider the Bartlets family. What she was surprised at was that Jed was able to hold his emotions in. One reason she had fallen in love with him was his passion. His passion about everything. And with that passion came emotion. Whether it was anger or love or depression or crying. And before Leo finished, she was expecting him to lose his calmness. She must remember to talk to him and thank him for not doing it. The last thing Leo needed right before this type of surgery was for them to cry in front of him. He needed strength from his friends. He needed strength from his Higher Power. She only hoped that his Higher Power was listening.

Mallory looked at her father's best friends. The fact that they came at this ungodly hour told her everything she needed to know about their love for him. Of course, she had never doubted it but for the most powerful man in the world to drop everything and come to her father's bedside before the sun came up told her all she needed to know. She had told her mother not to come today. She would call her with updates. She just didn't need the tension here today between the Bartlets and her mother. Not that there was any blame on either side but it was awkward for them to be around Jenny. They were best friends of her father and had known him long before her mother had been in the picture. So, her mother had reluctantly agreed on one condition. Before the Bartlets had arrived, she gave her father her mother's best wishes for a successful surgery. His response, "Yeah."

The clock ticked slowly. By 6:15, Toby, Sam and Josh had arrived. CJ was staying at the West Wing for the morning briefing and then coming over. Margaret had been asked to come by the President and First Lady but decided to stay at work. She said she didn't want to disturb their privacy but in reality, she was scared that if something bad happened, she wouldn't be able to control her emotions. She would check in with Charlie during the day.

The door opened and a woman walked in dressed in a white lab coat holding a piece of x-ray film.

"Mrs. Bartlet?" She said, looking around the room.

Abbey stood up. "Here."

“Hello. I'm Sharon. Dr. Tuner's PA. Mr. McGarry has been taken into surgery. Dr. Turner has asked me to show you the MRI."

“Thank you, Sharon. Let's go over here and take a look."

Of course, the whole group gathered around Abbey and Sharon, even though they had no idea what they were looking at.

Sharon started. "As you can see, this is the bullet. It is located here at the second lumbar vertebrae. It's clear that it's pressing on the nerve and that there is a great deal of swelling around it. The MRI confirms what the initial x-ray implied but now the issue is getting it out without damaging the area around it. The swelling will make it very delicate surgery and very tedious. However, our Chief of Neurology is world renown and since we do so many gunshot wounds, this is almost standard surgery for him. Questions?"

“Do you have an estimate of the length of surgery?"

“I really don't. As you know, it all depends on what the tissue looks like when the surgeons get in there. It could be fairly routine or it could be problematic. Hard to tell at this early point."

Abbey nodded. As a surgeon she already knew the answer. The question had been for everyone else.

Abbey looked around the group. "Any questions?"

Hearing none, she thanked Sharon and everybody went back to their seat.

A few minutes later, Josh's phone rang. Abbey looked at his face and her heart sank. By the look on his face, it wasn't good news.

“Mr. President? You're needed in the Situation room. That was Nancy McNally."

“What's wrong?"

“I'd rather not say, Sir. Not here."

Abbey could tell the war Jed was fighting with his emotions. She slid next to him on the sofa and placed her hand on his chest. In his ear she whispered,

"You need to go. You need to be the President. There's nothing you can do here. Whatever will happen will happen. But only you can make decisions there. And you know Leo would kick your ass if you stayed here instead of going there."

He looked at her, a slight twinkle in his eye. She knew she had gotten through to him. To his sense of duty. “You'll call?”

“Of course. Go." 

“Alright." As he stood, he turned to Mallory.

"I'm sorry, Mal. I have to go. I'll be back as soon as I can."

“I understand, Uncle Jed. Remember whose daughter I am."

They both smiled. Jed turned, gave Abbey a brief kiss and walked out of the waiting room with Josh right behind him.


	17. Chapter 17

By noon, they had had only two updates. So far, the actual surgery had lasted six hours and everyone was exhausted. Abbey and Mallory had dozed off several times but had not really slept. The Senior Staff kept walking in and out, never really sitting in a seat longer than ten or fifteen minutes in a stretch. Although the food had been refreshed, no one really ate. Jed had gotten stuck at the White House and Abbey bet he wasn't a happy camper. Josh would be taking the brunt of it and she really felt sorry for him. But the country couldn't be run from a hospital waiting room, especially if there was an incident occurring that required the President's attention in the Situation Room.

Abbey wondered what was taking so long. She wasn't a neurosurgeon but had heard stories about those surgeries lasting hours and hours. Even some of her surgeries had gone ten or twelve hours. But it was different when somebody you loved was the patient and had been on the table for that length of time. Finally, she turned to Mallory. "Come on. Let's walk. I've got so much nervous energy. I've got to walk some of it off."

“Okay."

The two women walked out of the waiting room with Abbey's agent of course following them. They walked the length of the hallway and were turning back toward the elevator when they saw the doors open and Dr. Turner and another older man exit. The two groups saw each other at the same time and Dr. Turner motioned for them to go into Leo's empty cubicle. Both women knew that meant the surgery was over and the next few minutes would tell them what they had been desperately waiting for.

As they entered the cubicle, Abbey dialed Jed's direct line, praying he was at his desk and not too busy.

“Yes?"

“Jed, it's me. The doctors are here. Can you listen?"

“Yes, I'm alone."

Dr Turner nodded. "Mrs. Bartlet, Ms. O'Brien, this is Dr. Wilson. He's Chief of Neurosurgery and performed the operation on Mr. McGarry."

Each woman shook hands with the newly introduced physician and waited to hear the news.

“Dr. Wilson, my husband is listening on the phone. He couldn't be here."

“Mr. President."

“Hello Dr. Wilson. Please tell us what's going on. How is Mr. McGarry?"

“The surgery, for its complexity, went fairly smoothly. The bullet was deeply embedded in the tissue next to the cord but not in the cord itself. We had to be very careful not to touch any of the cord tissue as we tried to remove it. I hate to use the term 'dig' it out but that's what it basically amounted to. There will be a fair amount of swelling for a few days but eventually that will go down and he will regain feeling in his lower extremities. For the next few days, he will remain here in ICU as he stabilizes and his cord recovers. He will then be transferred to a regular room and I anticipate a short stay in rehab so we can see how well he can walk. But in time, I think he will regain full control and be good as new."

Both Abbey and Mallory let out a breath of relief. Jed did too, but there was no one to hear or see him.

“Dr. Wilson, how long do you think before he has total recovery? Mr. McGarry is not a patient man." asked Abbey. She then heard a snort on the phone.

“Mrs. Bartlet, that depends on him. At the earliest, I see him coming back to full speed is a couple of months. It all depends on him."

Mallory asked the main question on her mind. "When can we see him?"

“He's in Recovery right now. He's had a lot of anesthesia so I want him semi awake before I will let him come back up here. That will probably take another couple of hours. His vital signs were stable during surgery which was amazing. According to Dr. Turner, your father had a lot of reasons not to even make it through this surgery. Mrs. Bartlet, as a surgeon yourself, you know that sometimes you just have to believe in something, or someone, else helping your patients survive something like this."

Abbey nodded. "Yes, I do. Something unexplainable."

“Well, if there are not any more questions, we're going to check on our patient. Mrs. Bartlet, if there are any questions you know how to reach me."

“Thank you, Dr. Turner. And you too, Dr. Wilson. My husband and I and Ms. O'Brien appreciate everything you have done. And I mean everything."


	18. Chapter 18

Two Months Later

“Good Morning, Mr. President."

Jed grinned and stood up from his desk. He had come to the office early just to be there in time to welcome Leo back. "Leo, I'm so glad to see you. How are you feeling?"

The two men hugged, each glad to know that Leo had finally healed completely from the incident at the Smithsonian. “Okay. You should know since you have sent spies every day I've been gone."

“Me, Leo? Little ole me? How can you say that?" Jed feigned surprise at Leo’s statement but both men knew Leo spoke the truth.

Leo grinned. "Sir, you can't tell me that, between you and Abbey, you didn't plan all the visits of the Senior Staff, the Assistants, the aides, or even my own daughter? And afterward, they reported back to you or to Abbey. Remember, I have known you both for a long time and I know what you both can do."

“Leo, you insult me. And my wife. How could you think of such a thing?"

“Mr. President, can't you even accept the fact that you did what you did and get on with it? I mean really. Come on."

“Okay. I guess you caught me this time. I can't get anything by you, can I?"

“Not really."

Margaret stuck her head in the door. "Leo, Mr. President, don't forget your meeting in the Roosevelt Room with the Staff. They're waiting."

“Thank you, Margaret. Come on, Leo. Time to get back on the horse."

Jed led the way and opened the door, stepping back so Leo would be the first to enter.

“Surprise!"

All of the Senior Staff, the Assistants, even Nancy McNally, the Vice-President, and somewhere in the room, Ron Butterfield had big smiles on their faces. It was a joyous day welcoming back Leo McGarry.

Abbey and Mallory stepped forward and planted a kiss on the Chief of Staff and father.

"Welcome Back, Leo."

"Welcome Back, Dad."

Jed stepped forward. "So, I can't get anything by you, huh?"

"Well. Sir, I guess you did."

"Come look at your cake."

Leo stepped forward, not seeing the smirk on the President's face.

The big sheet cake had images of twenty-five National Parks on it. Leo looked up and caught Jed's and Abbey's faces.

“You really shouldn't have, Mr. President."

“Oh, but I should have, Leo. And I did. Welcome back my friend."

THE END


End file.
